What Are The Challenges with Bulimia Recovery?

Getting bulimia treatment is only half the story, your greatest challenge and growth towards a bulimia free life will come from mastering everyday challenges, developing new habits & behaviors, emotional management and increasing your comfort zone to adopt new ways of life that weans you of bingeing and purging.

Your bulimia recovery will start with understanding the specific causes and risks that make you bulimic in the first place. Binge eating is something universal to all of us throughout our lives at some point, and it is appreciating this point that can liberate you from your struggle with food and an eating disorder, like bulimia.

It may help to view your recovery as a continuous process, which aims to understand and master the shift in all three vital areas of your life: your body, your mind and your emotions. Too many people attempt to fix one aspect without much long term success, because there’s a part of them with a blind spot which ignores other issues. Bulimia treatment will expose you to these pit falls, as well as your strengths so you can be better equipped to make your recovery a lasting one.

Generally, undetected stress, depression, poor health, anxiety, poor assertiveness skills, lack of self awareness and self care can hinder your bulimia treatment as well as your bulimia recovery. Many also fail to make that lasting change due to a lack of vision, clarity of what is expected of them, skills to follow through, and strong reasons to recover in the first place. This combined with the problem such as not having the right person or people to support your ongoing recovery work, looking for short cuts or quick weight related outcomes can all stop you from succeeding with your bulimia recovery.

In our experience here at Bulimia Hope, what helps your treatment and recovery are: knowledge and skills to motivate you, especially when the going gets tough; your ability to honor yourself and work on your body confidence and self-esteem; effectively manage co-existing conditions such as depression, anxiety or panic disorders; developing realistic and achievable step by step goals that you can review and build as you grow as a person; become more in touch with what you need, what you want, and what you can realistically get out of life; a sense of balance and centeredness in all aspects of your life. These are some of the major components to a successful bulimia recovery plan.

As you begin to master the art of reducing your bingeing and purging, you will also learn how to adopt coping mechanisms that take a positive look at lapses that appear in your recovery journey. Rather than view them as a disaster and give up too soon, you will find at Bulimia Hope we will guide you, give you the information and the tools to learn from these minor lapses and turn them around so you will never suffer from that same mistake again. That will help you regain the control you lost to Bulimia, and firmly hand over personal power back to you!

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Bulimia and Body Image

• Do you want to make changes to your body?
• Do you want to make changes to your eating habits to insure you are getting the proper nutrition?
• Do you need to exercise more?

Almost everyone will answer yes to these questions. People who suffer with bulimia are no different than most other people in possessing a desire to improve themselves. The problem is that bulimics just need to adopt the right habits, which will enable them to feel happy about their body image. They need to learn where to go to find help that is right for them.

Our body is our home. It requires maintenance, repair and renewal to insure that it is fine-tuned and working properly to serve our physical, emotional and intellectual needs. It is impossible to move out of our bodies, so we need to maintain it properly. No one’s body is perfect. Even the most beautiful and physically attractive people have areas that they want to improve. The first lesson a bulimic must learn is that no one is perfect. The second lesson is to recognize that changes can be made to improve ourselves. Making changes to bulimia habits that are a cause of discontent is often difficult.

It is not an overnight process. It requires commitment, motivation, hard work and a recognition that it takes time to complete the change. The good news is that you can beat bulimia. Many have beaten bulimia. Large dramatic changes are possible and likely for someone that recognizes and celebrates each small change.

Bulimia and Self-esteem

Self-esteem cannot be put in a backpack or purse and be carried with us. It is a sense of worth that we have about ourselves. It is present in our minds and souls and can serve us well if it is healthy or cause significant pain if it needs maintenance or repair. Self-esteem is created through hard work and effort. It is a function of dedication, motivation and education. The more we learn about it, the better prepared we are to make the modifications necessary to insure that it is operating at peak efficiency. A strong image of oneself is vital to insure that each of us achieves our potential and are able to beat bulimia.

If your self-esteem is not satisfactory, it needs to be changed. The fact is that it can be changed and people that have adopted changes in their lifestyle have also noted that they feel more comfortable with themselves and their self-esteem has been improved substantially. They also find it much easier to beat bulimia.

The connection

Self-esteem and body image are inextricably linked. That means that they mutually support each other. A positive change in our view of our bodies will make a simultaneous positive change in our self worth and self-esteem. These changes also result in many additional benefits such as improved relationships, less stress, more efficient work, less troubling thoughts and a desire to stand up to bulimia rather than to seek shelter and hide from encounters.

The bulimia struggle and where to get help

The effects of bulimia make the struggle for change complicated. I said complicated, not impossible or even improbable. Education, instruction, coaching and mentoring are available to enable an individual to conquer the effects of bulimia. Abandoning bulimic behavior will result in a much more healthy and fulfilling life.

At Bulimiahope.com we offer real life solutions to enable a bulimia sufferer to initiate the change that is necessary to improve body image, develop positive self-esteem, strengthen relationships and adopt healthy eating habits and exercise program to insure that we obtain the most joy that life can offer.

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is bulimia?
2. What is bulimia nervosa?
3. Is bulimia treatable?
4. Is complete recovery possible?
5. What are the symptoms of bulimia?
6. What are the signs of bulimia?
7. What are the dangers of bulimia?
8. What are the causes of bulimia?
9. What are the effects of bulimia?
10. How does bulimia affect teeth?
11. What are the facts about bulimia?
12. What are the statistics about bulimia?

What is bulimia?

Reoccurring episodes of binge eating followed by purging through self-induced vomiting, or the use of laxatives or diuretics.

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What is bulimia nervosa?

An over concern with self image when it comes to body weight, size and shape. Reoccurring episodes of binge eating followed by purging through self-induced vomiting, or the use of laxatives or diuretics. Alternatively use of strict dieting, fasting or vigorous exercise, where purging is rare.

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Is bulimia treatable?

Yes. The most effective treatment options help the sufferer to do three things: reduce physical symptoms, change their bulimic thoughts, and address their bulimic behavior.

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Is complete recovery possible?

Yes. With proper treatment, change, and effort over time, you can completely recover from bulimia. In order to maintain lasting freedom from bulimia it is essential to reinforce daily the positive changes in your lifestyle, self-care activities, thought patterns, and behaviors.

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What are the symptoms of bulimia?

* Binge behaviour is a secret one- often involving subterfuge and deception.

* Food is consumed at an alarmingly fast rate, to avoid being found out, or to avoid the guilt and shame that follows.

* Act of vomiting is a means of getting rid of this newly acquired shame and guilt of bingeing- this is also an attempt to get rid of the emotional negativity that surrounds the bingeing.

Immediately after bingeing, people feel briefly satisfied with what they have eaten and feel relieved by abandoning restraints (a sense of struggle produced by not eating all the time). These emotions are soon replaced by feeling disgusted with their eating, shame & guilt as well as depression.

These psychological symptoms are made worse by the physiological effects of binge eating: tiredness due to blood glucose-insulin relationship, abdominal pain- associated with fast eating and the nature of the complex food eaten; headaches and dizziness from the sugar rush & sugar addiction. Feeling of extreme fullness and bloatedness- due to sheer amount of the food consumed pushing against the abdominal walls.

This all leads to a great fear of weight gain, initiating people to take extreme measures of compensating behaviours. Vomiting, Laxative, diuretic use as well as fasting, dieting and excessive exercise follows to rectify the bingeing that took place.

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What are the signs of bulimia?

It is very difficult to spot outward signs of bulimia. Below is a list of signs to be aware of:

* Food wrappers under the bed
* Dehydration
* Heartburn
* Rounded face
* Internal bleeding
* Skin damage to the back of the hand around the knuckles
* Damage to teeth
* Bad breath

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What are the dangers of bulimia?

What causes medically serious consequences in bulimia is the act of vomiting. Many side effects and complications result needing immediate medical attention.

The disturbance of the chemical in the body fluid

The process of vomiting, drinking and vomiting again until the full content of the stomach is empty of food is a serious one. This process upsets the balance of body fluids and salts, namely potassium, sodium and chloride.

Low levels of potassium can result in cardiac arrhythmia, muscle cramps, muscle weakness and Tetany. Dehydration is obvious as a result of excessive behaviour. Although this can be reversed once you stop vomiting and taking laxatives/diuretics. Any long-term damage to heart, kidney and brain tends to be irreversible. Heart arrhythmia and even sudden cardiac arrest (heart attack) is possible.

Heartburn

Frequent vomiting can lead to problems with reflux which is partly digested acidic food coming back up from stomach. Usually it is caused by over eating, by eating rich or spicy food, or by drinking alcohol.

Swollen Parotid Glands

Binge-eating, vomiting, laxative abuse causes a great deal of irritation within the gastro-intestinal tract. Swelling of the salivary glands (including parotid glands) is common – giving rise to rounded face appearance. Sadly, many sufferers associate this as having a fat face – which then adds to the worry of looking and feeling overweight. Thus the vicious cycle continues.

Internal Bleeding

Occasionally violent vomiting causes a tear in the oesophagus (the long tube linking the mouth to the stomach). If the oesophagus ruptures, it is considered a medical emergency. Repeated vomiting over many years can also lead to a weakening of the oesophagus sphincter (muscles). The result of this can cause gastric reflux.

The throat is often damaged to due to an induced gag reflex by sticking a finger or device. The back of the throat is frequently injured and often bleeds then becomes infectious prone. Obvious tell-tale sign is that your voice becomes hoarse.

Skin Damage

People who stick their fingers in their throat to induce vomiting are prone to develop surface lesions. The repeated contact of the front teeth to the skin of the hand can result in abrasion of the skin, small lacerations and callosities on the surface of the hand (near the knuckle). This might be the only outward physical sign of bulimia.

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How Does Bulimia Affect Teeth

Tooth ache is common and frequent sore throats along with sore gums are also apparent. This is due to vomit containing hydrochloric acid (from the Digestive juice in the stomach) reaches the mouth frequently – causing erosion of the dental enamel (mainly on the inner surface of the teeth).

Many rush to brush their teeth vigorously after vomiting in an attempt to get rid of the smell. This actually damages the teeth further rapidly by the scarring effect. Once eroded, tooth enamel cannot be replaced. Constant exposure to acidity contributes to erosion of enamel, tooth decay and tooth loss.

This is often very painful and may lead to infections, bad breath and abscesses. Other dental problems include Jaw joint disorders, increased temperature sensitivity, periodontal disease, gingivitis and decreased salivary flow.

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What are the causes of bulimia?

• Genetic factors are known predictive factors that allow you to inherit such tendencies from your parents, or some case even from your grandparents (as the genetic emphasis can skip a generation and exert it self with the gap).
• Many people with bulimia, have a tendency to have a higher than average natural weight. Parental obesity has been found to be more prevalent among people who have developed bulimia and having greater exposure to a series of diets.
• Some studies also show that depression once inherited from parents, can cause depression in people who then develop some form of eating disorder themselves. It is often prevalent just before the bulimia actually develops.
• Weight loss following an episode of physical illness can also bring about bulimia.

Psychological Factors

• Low self-esteem.
• Extreme concern about body weight, size and shape
• Being a perfectionist and having high standards.
• Being histrionic, whereby over dramatising any given situation.
• Vulnerability towards alcohol.

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What are the effects of bulimia?

Bulimia has a profound and debilitating effect on your psychological well-being and your social life.

Depression

• Feelings of guilt
• Poor concentration
• Feelings of worthlessness
• Irritability
• Lack of energy
• Loss of self confidence
• Depressed mood
• Social withdrawal
• Feelings of hopelessness

Anxiety

• Worrying
• Tension pains (e.g. head aches)
• Nervous tension (e.g. being on edge)
• Avoidance of anxiety provoking situations
• Anxiety in meeting people
• Anxiety in specific situations
• Panic attacks

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What are the facts about bulimia?

Bulimic sufferers tend to have a higher than average natural weight or they tend to fall within the normal range of the body weight scale – making it the most different case to detect, due to very little outward signs and symptoms.

Incidents of bulimia are lowest in the rural area, intermediate in urbanised areas and the highest in large cities.

Bulimia nervosa is more common than anorexic nervosa. Prognosis is better for bulimia; however medical complications do exist due to the purging nature of this condition.

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What are the statistics about bulimia?

Adolescent females from the age of 15 to 30 are more likely to suffer from bulimia than any other age group.

1 in 20 (a typical school class size) suffers from some form of eating disorder amongst female high school and college students.

Between 1988 and 1993 alone, there was a threefold increase in the actual recording of bulimia.

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“I Suspect a Friend, Partner or Family Member Has Bulimia, but I’m not sure. What are the signs, symptoms or behaviors that I should look out for?”

Identifying bulimic people is not an easy task. Those who suffer from an eating disorder keep it a secret and are very good at hiding the effects of bulimia, even from the people they live with.

Look out for telltale bulimia signs. For example, do they avoid social occasions that involve the presence of food; have you found hidden food wrappers or come across a number of unaccounted food bills?

Locked bathroom doors and turning on the shower to mask the noise of vomiting (binge & purge), are an obvious give away. So is coming across unknown tablets, which may be laxatives.

Finding loved-one’s missing from their bed, only to find them coming back from the kitchen, with a weak explanation that they needed a drink of water. This may sound plausible at first – but if it happens on regularly basis then it is not surprising if you get suspicious.

If it’s your child, are they skipping sports at school, playing truancy or are they are being bullied? These may be bulimia tip-offs.

Here is a list of bulimia signs, typical bulimic symptoms and behaviors to look out for. No one item will mean they are bulimic, so look for clusters of supporting evidence, like:

• Often avoiding meals or eating with others. If they do eat, it is a calorie-controlled diet of some kind.
• Eating late at night or indulging in mid-night feasts.
• Habitually visiting the bathroom shortly after a meal and saying they need to have a bath, use the toilet or wash their hair. If this happens check the sink or toilet for any evidence of vomit, smell of vomit or heavy use of air fresheners in an attempt to mask the smell.
• Having notable and regular fluctuations in weight, often due to being on various diets.
• You noticing significant amounts of food going missing, empty packets and food wrappers may accompany this.
• You finding hidden food items or food stored in unexpected places.
• Being generally unhappy about their appearance and weight. Having an obsessive desire to be thin which is communicated through either their conversations or behavior.
• Having an obsession with food and cooking – for example knowing how many calories are contained in individual food items; or they know every way to cook a specific food; are genuinely curious about eating, they read all about it; they entertain everyone through food, but seen to be eating very little of it themselves.
• Having low levels of self-confidence, are moody and have a preference for being alone. Avoid socializing with family, friends and work colleagues.
• Increased activity levels, especially fitness and visiting the gym on a very regular basis.
• Weighing themselves more than once a day.
• Poor management of personal finances.
• General disinterest in life, frequent mood swings and are often depressed.

If you have identified clusters of some of the above bulimia signs or typical bulimic symptoms, chances are your instincts that a loved one is suffering from secretive bulimic tendencies, is true.

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Clinical/Statistical data

Bulimia affects an extremely large proportion of young women and teenage girls. The specific numbers are difficult to determine because often the affliction is misdiagnosed, mistreated or not reported. Data available from the National Institute of Mental Health appears to suggest that as many as 5% of the female population will be effected by this eating disorder. Males also fall victim to bulimia although in lower proportions than females.

What these statistics mean in real numbers is that as many as 7,000,000 females and up to 1,000,000 males will be struck by bulimia.

Whatever the exact numbers are it is clear that this is not a rare eating disorder. It is rampant and demands treatment before the debilitating effects cause severe medical problems. Bulimia demands that an individual gain control over their eating habits. Recurrent binging and purging can lead to extremely serious difficulties.

Gaining control of bulimia, while ultimately an individual responsibility, is difficult and demanding. It generally requires the dedicated help of loved ones and the motivation of the affected individual to want to make a positive change in their behavior that will lead to the adoption of life sustaining and life changing conduct.

Harm that may be caused

Many medical problems are created because of bulimia which can include kidney malfunction, stomach disorders, problems with teeth and gums, malnutrition or other severe ailments. Without proper treatment for bulimia some people will die as a result. There is additional risk for psychological disorders to arise as a result of a bulimic lifestyle, if those problems are not already at the root of the eating disorder. It is evident that bulimia can cause a downward spiraling of an individual’s quality of life and create angst, anger or even depression for it’s victims.

Treatment

Bulimia is most common among teenage girls and women in their early twenties. Intervention and treatment should begin as soon as the eating disorder is recognized and continue until the eating disorder is cured and a healthy life style is adopted. A difficulty that often prevents effective and timely treatment is often caused by the bulimics failure to recognize the problem or by engaging in behaviors that hide or mask the disease. It is not uncommon for a bulimic to feel ashamed of their activities and to be experiencing suffering in plain view of loved ones.

It is often the task of close friends or loved ones to help with the identification of bulimia and encourage or demand that treatment be sought. Positive outcomes are best achieved with diagnosis of the eating disorder in the relatively early stages of formation. Positive outcomes are also likely with those that have been coping with the eating disorder over long periods of time, although it may take a more sustained period of treatment to successfully deal with the eating disorder.

Treatment for bulimia can entail a wide variety of activities. Education, counseling, coaching, mentoring, nutrition and meal planning as well as medical treatment and hospitalization may be required to assist the individual in conquering bulimia. The results of failing to properly treat the eating disorder can be disastrous. However, effective treatment can often result in dramatic progress and provides the best opportunity for enabling the person suffering from bulimia to rejoin their world as well adjusted and healthy individuals.

Results

The potential results of effective treatment can be dramatic. A person that beats bulimia is often filled with a strong sense of accomplishment and self-assurance. They are armed with the knowledge that they possess the strength to conquer any challenge that life presents to them.

In summary, bulimia is a widespread affliction that can lead to potentially life threatening conditions. The individual with bulimia must desire to make a change in their lives and recognize that help is available to provide information, encouragement, education and counseling. The recognition of the need for change is the first critical step in the pathway leading to success.

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If You Have Decided To Seek Help For Your Bulimia, Then Identifying And Weighing Up The Most Effective Bulimia Treatments Is A Must!

When looking for bulimia treatment, it is important that you find a solution which matches your needs and current situation. Because once you begin, it is important that you are able to follow through with your treatment to its logical outcome. To this end, we have developed a range of treatment options which cater for all situations without compromising on quality or effectiveness.

Our treatment options include powerful psychological counseling techniques such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, psychodynamics, nutritional interventions and hypnosis. These are underpinned with leading edge tools such as Neurolingustic programming (NLP), emotional freedom therapy (EFT) and creative therapy to treat your bulimia. At Bulimia Hope, the way in which you receive your bulimia treatment will be tailored to suit your own specific needs, preferences and availability.

Click on one of the treatments below to read about it:

1. Private one-on-one counselling
2. Group counselling sessions
3. Bulimia Self Help: Home-study program
4. Beat bulimia workshop
5. Break-Through Sessions
6. Ask Vathani a question

Private one-on-one counselling

The single most effective bulimia treatment is the one to one counseling. The sheer intensity and regular frequency such as weekly or fortnightly sessions prove to be the most successful. How often you receive this counseling would depend on how stable or chaotic your bulimia currently is, frequency and severity of your bingeing and vomiting behavior, as well as how quickly you wish to implement changes in your life.

You can choose to receive bulimia counseling by experts at Bulimia Hope either by:
•    Face to face
•    Telephone

Although in person is very effective, the next best option is telephone counseling. If you do not have a fully qualified bulimia counselor in your area, then telephone counseling would be a good choice for you.

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Group counselling sessions

For some bulimia sufferers, in person or telephone counseling can be too intense or too expensive. Group Coaching is the answer to this problem. The bulimia treatment provides a shared and communal learning with others in a similar situation and who want the same outcome.

At Bulimia Hope, confidential groups are kept purposefully small and closed…so you will find that everyone in the group will benefit by getting the attention they need, and not being lost in the crowd.

Those unable to afford individual bulimia treatment will benefit from the same therapeutic journey, without compromising on the quality of the treatment.

The two group coaching options available are:
•    Face to face
•    Telephone

Group coaching varies in duration and is held twice a year, so you can join when you feel ready.

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Bulimia Self Help: Home-study program Home-study program

If you prefer to adopt a more flexible approach which is tailored to your own schedule, at the pace that suits you and with the regular guidance from a bulimia expert, then the Bulimia Success Program will suit you best.

The Bulimia Success Program is based on the proven success of cognitive behavioral therapy; alongside other complimentary tools to make this method very effective. If you are a self starter and a committed individual with a lot of focus and want to free your life from bulimia and improve your overall health, then this option will appeal to you.

Read more and order the Bulimia Success Program

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Beat bulimia workshop

This option is only currently available to UK residents, Bulimia Hope will shortly make this Beat Bulimia Workshop available in the USA and Europe.

The Beat Bulimia workshop is a whole day, interactive and experiential learning where you can expect some great insight, shifts and break throughs. You will leave feeling confident about applying your newly learned techniques and strategies to end all your bulimia behaviours, unwanted emotions and unhelpful thought patterns.

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Break-Through Sessions

If time or a regular commitment is your biggest obstacle and is standing in the way of your bulimia recovery, then a 3 hour Break-Through session might be the answer. This is not for the faint hearted, as the intensity and insight is very concentrated.

However the treatment objectives, which you agree with your bulimia specialist before arriving for the session, will be achieved allowing you to return home and to your life with a new perspective, new skills, strategies and a laser focus on your recovery. This treatment is based on a “solution focused approach” and is mainly held in person, although it can be delivered over the telephone.

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Ask Vathani a question

At times, knowing which way is forward can be very unclear, leaving you with too many questions and not enough answers.

On the other hand, you may be a parent, friend or family member and want to ask about:
•    Signs and symptoms
•    What may cause bulimia nervosa
•    A medical question
•    Food, diet and weight loss
•    Changes in behavior
•    Other eating disorders like anorexia and binge eating

If this is you, you may find it reassuring to know you can write directly to a bulimia expert at Bulimia Hope and ask your question. Your question will get answered within three working days. Although this is not therapy in itself, it is certainly the push many people need to start their bulimia recovery or to help them with managing relapses.

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Teleseminar

If you are a sufferer who is already engaged in treatment or were recently…yet feel the need to keep your finger on the pulse and get new ideas to motivate you and keep you on the straight and narrow. Or guide you at your most vulnerable time before a lapse turns in to a relapse…this form of easily accessible internet monthly support may be the option for you.

If this appeals to you, you can subscribe to a monthly 90 minute call on various and relevant Bulimia treatment topics, which is packed full with tips, and simple advice on how to do things for yourself without the need for a therapist.

An mp3 recording will be made available to subscribers of this service where they can download it and listen to it on their IPod. If you listen to the call live then you will also have the option of asking your questions LIVE on the call and getting immediate answers.

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Online Bulimia Treatment

For those who wish to further develop themselves, or those currently only able to make a minimal commitment to their bulimia recovery, can watch videos on YouTube. These very popular and empowering videos which give advice on specific bulimia problems and issues.

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Beat Bulimia is a two-day workshop developed and led by Vathani Navasothy from Bulimia Hope and Awakening Dawn: Eating Disorder Counselling & Training services. It is currently held in London and created as a tool to help people overcome their bulimia, provide tools for bulimia treatment and continuing bulimia recovery.

The Beat Bulimia workshop is a pathway to recovery and delivers a powerful experiential transformation on your inner journey toward self-awareness. We deal with the problems inherent in a life consumed by binge eating and purging, and the personal journeys of others in this small and supportive group will further add to your growth. It will help to identify your own inner strengths and resources to beat bulimia, enjoy a successful life, and empower you with new ways of caring for yourself.

You will learn

• Effective strategies to help you to gradually stop vomiting, taking laxatives or diuretics
• How to effectively handle past events holding you back and move on successfully
• How to be assertive and communicate in a way that will allow you to get to what you want
• New ways to cope with stress and anxiety rather than turning to food
• How to master a set of strategies to help you let go of guilt and shame from the past, and build a more empowering future
• How to effectively deal with self-sabotage and toxic relationships
• Natural and creative strategies for your every day problem solving
• How to understand your mind and how it can keeps locked onto bulimia, how it creates and responds to both the past and future events
• How to choose how you feel, instead of being a victim of events and people around you
• How to motivate yourself away from relapsing and get through the hard times
• How to set and achieve realistic weight, shape and size goals
• 2nd Day: Powerful, modern and innovative psychological techniques for bulimia treatment which you can apply yourself.

You Will Benefit

If you are someone that suffers from Bulimia or is trying to recover from bulimia, and who wants to live life in a state of self-harmony and personal fulfilment.

Workshop Outcomes

Find out how your feelings, habits and thoughts have been impacted by experiences in your past, as you pinpoint patterns of behaviour that affect your relationship with food. Patterns which have a serious impact on your relationships with your family, co-workers and friends.

Sharing

You will be part of a safe and confidential small circle of people with similar challenges and wants for the future so that you can learn from them and see things through other eyes. A great deal of time will be available to address needs of the individual in addition to all the issues that are important in the lives of people who suffer from bulimia.

Moving Forward

Vathani will see to it that when you depart, you will have information regarding all the new skills and insights that will be helpful to you in the future. Life can take on new meaning when you no longer are held prisoner by bulimic thoughts, feelings and actions. The goal of this workshop is a good start as a first move towards a healthy, new you, and a new life.

Ongoing support is available for those needing personal Coaching or therapy after the workshop. As a delegate of this workshop, you can expect to take advantage of discounted fee for this follow-up support.

Workshop Details

Date: 13th & 14th March 2010

Time: 9am-5pm (Sat & Sun)

Venue:

Ambassador Suite 3, Justin Plaza 3, 341 London Road, Mitcham, Surrey CR4 4BE

Your Investment

2 Day Workshop: £200

To make payment by cheque, please send a cheque made out to “Awakening Dawn”, at Awakening Dawn , 56 Windsor Road; Thornton Heath; Croydon ; Surrey CR7 8HE

Or

To make payment via Paypal, either send payment to this e-mail address Vathani@bulimiahope.com or click on the button below:

Swollen glands in your face such as the Lymph nodes, Salivary glands and Parotid glands, are one of the tell tale signs and common side effects of bulimia. Often this is brought about by frequent bingeing and purging, which aggravates areas of your face and neck. By now you may have noticed the direct correlation of your chaotic binging and vomiting, and the prominent gland enlargement.

Unlike the swollen glands that occur in a healthy person indicating invasive infection, in a bulimia sufferer the enlargement of your face and glands are due to your natural body’s defense mechanism, to counter the damage caused by constant attack from the stomach acids like Hydrochloric acid. This onslaught or irritation is what gives that permanent look of a round face that most sufferers despise as it makes them feel “fat”. The fact that the rest of your body feels normal or proportionate may go unnoticed or fail to give you any comfort. Instead your bulimia pre-occupation or obsession fuels you to enter into a compensatory behavior such as dieting, food restriction, over exercising laxative or diuretic abuse.

Unfortunately, your body can only go about reducing and normalizing the shape and size of your glands, if the behavior of bingeing and purging dramatically reduces or stops all together. The rate of swollen gland recovery time will depend very much on your own body’s ability to reverse the damage done in the area of your throat, jaw, mouth and upper gut (Oesophagus). Swelling, bleeding, or ulcers including losing your voice and being more prone to sore throat and infection in this region are all good indicators that bulimia behavior is costing you your slim facial appearance that you want so much.

If the size and shape of your face concerns you enough to take action’ you will need to be fully receptive and committed towards your bulimia treatment and bulimia recovery. There are no halfway compromises about stopping your face swelling and keeping your eating disorder alive. Decision to sacrifice the benefits of bulimia is necessary, as even on the rare occasion of bingeing and purging the round and fuller face will come back in matter of minutes!

The good news is that you can decide to get help for your bulimia and gradually stop this very damaging behavior all together, whilst gaining self confidence, great body image and a beautiful face that you can be happy seeing in the mirror.

To learn more about support for eating disorders and how to stop binging & purging, go and read about the different bulimia treatments.

The answer is; discuss your concern with them. Don’t ignore bulimia signs and hope their binge & purge routines will go away or think that overtime they will grow out of their bulimic habits. They won’t and you will only get more apprehensive about the situation.

The problem for many people, who are close to a suspected bulimic, is that they are unsure about how to approach the person and the subject of bulimia. They feel duty bound to help them overcome bulimia but are afraid that if they do, they might damage their relationship.

To assist you with this situation, we have put together a list of positive steps to help you be proactive, do the right thing and maintain or improve your relationship.

Knowledge is the key in helping you take the right approach when confronting a suspected bulimic. Find out all you can about Bulimia;

• Bulimia signs
• Bulimia symptoms
• Effects of bulimia
• Dangers Of Bulimia
• Bulimia medical help
• Bulimia support
• Bulimia treatment programs

With an excellent appreciation of bulimia nervosa, you will find it easier to talk about and have a good understanding of what that bulimic person is going through.

• When you raise the issue of bulimia, do not criticize, condemn or complain. Your objective is to build a trusting relationship so that the person with bulimia feels relaxed and are able to confide in you.
• Find the right time to raise the topic of their binge & purge routines. Make sure there are no interruptions and explain that what ever they disclose about their bulimia, it will not be shared with anybody else.
• Air your concerns; explain how their suspected binge & purge routines has made you want to become involved in what is a very private and personal matter.
• You could start by saying, “Emma, I feel upset when you refuse to eat with us and you go and shut yourself away in your bedroom,” or “I’m concerned about you using laxatives everyday, I fear for the damage you are doing to your kidneys. Can we talk about it so we both understand what is going on for you?” Then be ready to truly listen, understand and empathize.
• If they open up and admit to binge & purge routines, do not make out that you are going to try and rescue them, save them, force them to have bulimia treatment or to stop being bulimic. Your role is simply to be a friend and be there for them. To help guide them on the road to bulimia recovery.
• At this point in time they are coping with Bulimia in the best way they can. Bulimia is already making their lives a misery; so avoid putting any unreasonable expectations, pressures or demands on them.
• Work with them to seek help or agree on how you can provide support or where to get non-medicated treatment for bulimia e.g. assistance with weekly food shopping, help them find a treatment or accompany them when they visit their GP.
• Jointly start a new hobby that may serve to distract their bulimic habits like dancing or walking. Suggest professional eating disorder treatments (Counseling, GP, Group Therapy, Self-Help, Alternative treatments for bulimia, internet based bulimia treatment etc)
• Be careful not to incite Bulimic behaviors e.g. do not give praise when weight loss is noted or criticize when weight is gained.
• Be prepared for denial or a refusal to be helped with their bulimia. Seek support for yourself; this will better enable you to deal with the effects of bulimia that arise from their binge & purge routines. You could simply take some “Time Out” or have regular conversations with a qualified counselor. Learning to deal with bulimia is vital.
• If you are a friend, letting someone else know that you are trying to help a bulimic (like a teacher if you are a student) may help to take some of the pressure off you.
• If you are a Parent, remove the temptation of binging and purging from the home environment. Don’t keep cupboards filled with typical binge foods such as sweets, candy, cakes, biscuits, chocolates, and so on… instead stock up with fruits, healthy cereal bars, nuts and fresh juices.
• Relax some of your own rules around food and body issues. Don’t force people to eat everything on their plate especially if they are bulimic. Give space for others to grow and be independent. Always provide love and affection.
• If you are a partner, remember to focus on the aspects of your relationship that give you both pleasure. Stay focused on the relationship not the binge & purge routines.
• Do not blame yourself for their bulimia. You did not cause the eating disorder; so you have no reason to harbor any guilty feelings.
• Be mindful of how you communicate your own perception of bulimia as well as weight, shape, diets and body image.
• Accept that bulimia recovery will not happen over night, be patient and continue to provide your support and care for as long as it takes.

Learn about the different Bulimia Treatments

Do you reach for a packet of laxatives when you feel full, bloated, fat or heavy? Do you know what laxatives do to your body? Do you want to develop a healthy eating habit or break the cycle of bulimia or compulsive overeating?

People that suffer from bulimia or compulsive overeating often abandon a healthy eating habit and resort to the use of laxatives. One should be aware that they could experience terrible side effects. If you use laxatives inappropriately constipation, fluid retention, a bloated feeling and the very thing you are trying to avoid – weight gain – are potential problems. You deserve better and should adopt a healthy eating habit to combat bulimia or compulsive overeating.

Habitual use can have very serious side effects for you, such as; dehydration, impaired bowel function, electrolyte imbalance and endema. Blood in the stool indicates internal bleeding, which can lead to anemia, intestinal and liver tumors, as well as colorectal cancer. In the most extreme cases it can lead to death. Bulimia and compulsive overeating are curable.

Laxatives were developed to relieve constipation and because it is a non-prescription drug, it is widely available and abused by many bulimia or compulsive overeating sufferers. Be aware that laxatives can be addictive and because your body becomes more tolerant to them you may feel the need to take more to obtain the same effect. This is obviously not part of a healthy eating habit.
Do You Want to Wean Yourself From Laxatives?

These 5 suggestions are provided to help you to develop a healthy eating habit and overcome a dependency on laxatives if you suffer from bulimia or compulsive overeating

If you are a long-term user, consult with your doctor as soon as possible. If not, you can adopt the following tips to combat bulimia or compulsive overeating which may have led to the overuse of laxatives. It is dangerous to stop laxative use overnight, so gradually cut down your intake. Seek medical help if you need additional guidance or you can visit Bulimiahope.com to obtain information about maintaining a healthy eating habit and winning the struggle against compulsive overeating.

1. Make sure your diet contains plenty of natural fiber which aids healthy bowel movements. It is a healthy eating habit to consume plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. This is absolutely essential for someone that is affected by bulimia. You can expect your bowel movements to be in the range of 1 to 3 times a day or as infrequently as 3 times per week. All are considered normal. If your bowel movement is outside this range then speak with your doctor.
2. Drink plenty of water – 6 to10 glasses a day. This may seem excessive, but it is what your body is thirsty for and is another healthy eating habit for those affected with bulimia.
3. Participate in some gentle exercise like yoga or swimming which will aid to insure you bowel movements are regular. To help you maintain this regular exercise participate in a sport or physical activity that you enjoy.
4. Increase your intake of whole-grain bread, cereal and crackers. They add important bulk to your movements and nutrients to your body which enable it to heal.
5. Allow from 1 week to a couple of months for your body to recover from the effects of long term laxative abuse. It will take some time to adopt a healthy eating habit and overcome compulsive overeating.

Every time you are tempted to take a laxative, ask yourself: “what can I do which is more self-loving, right this minute?” Then act on it, however small the gesture is, it is the way to adopt a healthy eating habit and begin your recovery from bulimia or compulsive overeating.